The slice of the Saugatuck River that runs behind my home in Redding ebbs and flows with the seasons. Sometimes it runs so quietly, we can hear the plop of a frog breaking the surface. Other days, the current runs so hard, it keeps the deer from crossing, and we can hear the rocky churns of the wooshing water through our open windows at night.

It’s our family compass—how we start our day. Our morning kitchen talk typically begins with, “the river is really running today,” or “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so low,” or “jeez, check out the ice!”

After years in this home, we know that the river will swell and stir up quick from weather systems that are far outside our purview. But, even with the wildcard of Mother Nature, one thing is steadfast. Our glorious, powerful, splashy, ominous, joyful, turtley, rafty river never stops running.

SOUND FAMILIAR? I’m the daughter of a lifelong entrepreneur. And, over the past 27 years I have worked for more than a dozen small business owners (plus I had a couple draining corporate stints, a wacky gig at NASA, and my own storied venture). Your business might not be right outside your kitchen window, but in one way or another, it’s always in view. And, your business is as exciting, scary, beautiful, relentless, invigorating, and ever-present as the river that runs behind our home.